JAPAN and South Korea spoke to each other by phone following North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s visit to China this week.

Nuclear envoys for the two countries had a conversation today where they “discussed recent developments on the Korean Peninsula” including the proposed denuclearisation.Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs spoke with Kenji Kanasugi, director-general of Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian affairs bureau, according to the Seoul Foreign Ministry. While relations between Kim and South Korean leader Moon Jae-in have thawed since their historic summit last year, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is yet to meet Kim despite declaring he wanted to “break the shell of mutual distrust”.

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Kim attended a summit in Beijing with China’s President Xi earlier this week during which he is believed to have renewed his pledge to denuclearise.

Chinese media suggested Mr Xi had also given the green light to a second summit between Kim and President Donald Trump, following their historic meeting in Singapore in June last year where they agreed on ridding the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons.

Echoing the prediction, Mr Moon said yesterday: “China has continued to play a positive role in the process of inter-Korean dialogue, as well as US-North Korea talks.

The phone call came after Kim Jong-Un met President Xi Jinping (Image: AFP)

“The second North Korea-United States summit – to take place soon – and a reciprocal visit to Seoul by Chairman Kim Jong-un of North Korea will be turning points that will firmly solidify peace on the Korean Peninsula.

“The path toward peace on the Korean Peninsula still continues to expand even at this moment, and it will speed up even more this year.”

He suggested a second summit needed to produce an agreement which was “more clear on actions by each side”.

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South Korean President Moon Jae-In predicted a new US/North Korean summit (Image: Getty)

In a move which is unlikely to gain much traction in Washington, he also suggested he would push for sanctions on North Korea to be eased prior to the resumption of further talks about denuclearisation.

He said: “My administration will cooperate with the international community, including the United States, to resolve the remaining issues such as international sanctions as soon as possible.”

He also stressed the potential benefits of closer North/South relations, saying: “Peace can drive economic growth.

“The connection of railroads and roads between the two Koreas will help find new breakthroughs for our economy.”